What ultralight sleeping bag do you use for archery bivy-ing, and why?

Re: What ultralight sleeping bag do you use for archery bivy-ing, and why?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtnwrunner

jmden, You've got a great system going there. I've got a date on a mountain in early october with a muley and I am trying to get my system as lite as possible as I want to carry everything with me as I hunt. I've always been pretty well equipped but man, the more I look at stuff on the internet, the more I can upgrade. As the saying goes, "If you are gonna hunt Kong, you have to go where he lives." I'm pretty much sold on the tarptent contrail. I'll have my entire system down to about 30 pounds sans rifle and that is for a couple of days and that is having enough to be very comfortable. My plan is to have a base camp and then spike it from there every 2 to 3 days. Be up in the high country of central Idaho----if it hasn't all burned down..................

Randy

Good luck on your hunts this year. 30 lbs. is pretty good. I dropped 5 lbs from my gear with the above purchase this year. Not cheap, but 5 lbs is a chunk of weight. My whole sleep system, tent, bag and pad is less than 5lbs and very comfortable. I'm not sure I'm going to get down to 30 lbs, but am always assessing every piece of gear to do so. I've got 'high buck' muley hunt and black bear hunts in the last two weeks of September, so am gettin' gear up for that.

Would you mind sharing your 30lb list of gear? I'm alwasy on the hunt for any new ideas.

__________________
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?" Thomas Jefferson - Notes on the State of Virginia

Re: What ultralight sleeping bag do you use for archery bivy-ing, and why?

I'll get you a list and some photos when I have a bit more time.
It's funny that you mentioned the 5 pound mark for your sleeping system---that was also my target goal. One of the other things that I do is weigh everything myself. I don't take manufactures word for anything---imagine that.
I use my 10 pound trigger weight scale for the small stuff and a 20 to 100 pack scale for the big stuff. If you have a max goal of 30 pounds and you keep your sleep system and food to 10 pounds, that leaves you 20 pounds for your pack and your hunting equipment which if you have more than that, I think its too much crap. I think that Andy mentioned somewhere else that he uses the eberlestock x2 and that is what I use. Glen lists the weight on that pack as 4.5 pounds but my scale says 4.2 pounds---every ounce counts. I've also wondered what other folks do for ammo as in how many rounds would one take on a backpack hunt. Yeah, yeah, I know, everyone will say, "I just take one!" Right.
I take 15 rounds. I have never used more than 3 in all my years of hunting but we live in substantial wolf country and I think that 15 gives me a little fudge room.
And I always have my Ruana knife.....................

Randy

__________________"Every man has a purpose---------mine is to be behind a rifle.........."

"I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than be in any city on earth." ---Steve McQueen

Re: What ultralight sleeping bag do you use for archery bivy-ing, and why?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtnwrunner

I'll get you a list and some photos when I have a bit more time.
It's funny that you mentioned the 5 pound mark for your sleeping system---that was also my target goal. One of the other things that I do is weigh everything myself. I don't take manufactures word for anything---imagine that.
I use my 10 pound trigger weight scale for the small stuff and a 20 to 100 pack scale for the big stuff. If you have a max goal of 30 pounds and you keep your sleep system and food to 10 pounds, that leaves you 20 pounds for your pack and your hunting equipment which if you have more than that, I think its too much crap. I think that Andy mentioned somewhere else that he uses the eberlestock x2 and that is what I use. Glen lists the weight on that pack as 4.5 pounds but my scale says 4.2 pounds---every ounce counts. I've also wondered what other folks do for ammo as in how many rounds would one take on a backpack hunt. Yeah, yeah, I know, everyone will say, "I just take one!" Right.
I take 15 rounds. I have never used more than 3 in all my years of hunting but we live in substantial wolf country and I think that 15 gives me a little fudge room.
And I always have my Ruana knife.....................

Randy

Ruana Knives...some of the best. I just went through Bonner the other day.

__________________
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?" Thomas Jefferson - Notes on the State of Virginia

Re: What ultralight sleeping bag do you use for archery bivy-ing, and why?

The Bag I use is the Marmot Flathead 20degree bag and it has served me pretty well over the last year. I've used it in the 20's and it was perfectly fine I usually wear a beanie (hat) when I'm outside sleeping. Obviously you need to be sleeping on something or else you will get chilled thru the ground. For the price I'm quite happy obviously there are higher quality bags out there but you will be paying for it. It packs pretty small mine measures about 13"x9" and weight I haven't weighed it personally but marmot say's it weighs 2lb9ozs. If your looking for a good place to purchase one sierratradingpost.com. If you sign up to recieve there flyer's they will usually send you a coupon for like 30% off your purchase. Just my two cents.

Re: What ultralight sleeping bag do you use for archery bivy-ing, and why?

jmden, you should have stopped by Ruana----it is a pretty cool place. I stopped by there last year and I had my own design and they made it. I just got it about a month or so ago and it is great. I've got three of them now and they are all a work of art. Makes you not want to use them...................
I guess I kind of got off the sleeping bag thread but backpack hunting is a passion of mine and its nice to see what other folks are using for gear.

Randy

__________________"Every man has a purpose---------mine is to be behind a rifle.........."

"I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than be in any city on earth." ---Steve McQueen